Canal Walk Shopping Centre has unveiled a vibrant and immersive new art installation for Spring and Summer 2024. This transformation of the shopping space celebrates both nature’s beauty and the power of community, with over 28 local artists, designers, and 200 young learners contributing to the creation of these awe-inspiring pieces. This installation, rich in symbolism and joy, draws inspiration from the metamorphosis of the butterfly, which transforms Canal Walk into a place of wonder and magic.

Spring Installation: A Celebration of Transformation and Magic

Visitors to Canal Walk will be captivated by the intricate beauty of the Blue Butterfly, an iconic symbol of transformation and hope. This striking artwork, adorned with over 200,000 beads, was a labour of love, created in collaboration with learners from Marconi Bean Primary School, under the guidance of Art Afrique, master beading artist Thokozani Twala.  The metal armature that encases the beadwork was manufactured by Philip Coote and the design was created as a collaboration between Coote and Wench and Art Afrique. The butterfly came to life over four months of meticulous work in an extraordinary collaboration that combines creativity, craftsmanship, and environmental consciousness.

These young artists poured their creativity into this masterpiece, and their joy is palpable. As one child shared: “Today I have learnt that you can be anything you want to be in life. I also learnt that keeping the environment safe and clean for the animals and humans is a good thing.” The butterfly installation has become the perfect selfie spot, encouraging visitors to capture their own magical moments with friends and family.

Designed with inspiration from nature, this flying butterfly installation is much more than decoration. Butterflies, known for their ability to see more colours than humans and sense the earth’s magnetism, are also symbols of the human soul and joy. The enchanting Spring Butterflies in Flight, crafted by Louis Chanu and his team, alongside the “Spring Clouds” wallpaper by Kelly O’Brien and the Lightfarm team, immerse visitors in a vibrant celebration of renewal and transformation.

Summer Installation: Honouring the Cape’s Natural Beauty

As the seasons change, the Summer Fynbos and Bee installation takes centre stage. Featuring a spectacular bee sculpture designed by Philip Coote and his artisans in collaboration with Art Afrique, this installation pays homage to the essential role bees play in maintaining our ecosystem. The vibrant floral displays, handcrafted from paper by Claire Fluhr and her team at Cuttin Paper, showcase the stunning diversity of fynbos, proteas, and succulents that define the Cape landscape.

Over 200 learners from Marconi Bean Primary and Sinenjongo High School participated in creating the leaves for these floral masterpieces. Their creativity and enthusiasm brought this installation to life, infusing it with a sense of pride and connection to nature. One student shared: “I had an amazing time….one day I will be known as an artist.”

The floral boxes surrounding the bee are not just visually striking — they represent the pollen that bees gather and distribute across the region, making this installation a vibrant celebration of life and biodiversity. Visitors can relax on the Fynbos Apple Seat, a colourful and inviting piece of functional art, created and painted by Nathan Sanan while soaking in the beauty of the entire display.

A Collaboration with Heart and Purpose

This installation reflects Canal Walk’s commitment to inspiring a sense of community and environmental stewardship. The workshops, led by Carol Hogarth of Art Afrique and supported by Grammy-winning artist Robin Hogarth, gave students hands-on experience in artmaking while teaching them valuable lessons about protecting the environment. As a token of appreciation, each child took home a personal beaded butterfly or flower kit, generously sponsored by Canal Walk.

“Projects like these create a lasting cultural impact, inspiring the next generation to embrace creativity and sustainability. These are values Canal Walk wholeheartedly supports,” commented Gavin Wood, General Manager of Canal Walk Shopping Centre.

Capture the Magic at Canal Walk

Both the Spring and Summer installations offer the perfect photo opportunities for visitors. Don’t miss the chance to capture a selfie with the Blue Butterfly or relax at the Fynbos Apple Seat. Share your memories with friends and family on social media and make these moments last a lifetime!

Moët & Chandon epitomises champagne excellence, with a heritage extending over 280 years. As the world’s most cherished champagne brand, its esteemed reputation is founded on deep-rooted expertise and tradition. Ahead of Champagne Day on 25 October 2024, we sat down with Moët & Chandon Chef de Cave, Benoît Gouez. Having steered the Maison’s winemaking since 2005, he reflects on the central theme of savoir-faire in champagne production and how the Maison’s ability to blend tradition, craftsmanship and modern innovation has continued well beyond its inception.

As Chef de Cave for Moët & Chandon, Benoît carries the responsibility of guiding the Maison into the future, while staying true to the ethos and history. According to Benoît, “An important part of the success of Moët & Chandon has been the House’s ability to balance authenticity and modernity, continuously breathing new life into our rich heritage, tuning into the spirit of the times while staying one step ahead,” Benoît explains.

This balance is achieved by preserving trusted traditions and incorporating them with modern advancements. Benoît highlights that the Maison’s vineyards and pressing centres are at the heart of this balance. “It is in our state-of-the-art cuverie, equipped with stainless steel vats for fermenting and maturing of the wines, that Moët & Chandon begins the process of turning the fruit of the harvest into some of the world’s finest champagnes,” he says. This commitment to cutting-edge technology while maintaining a hands-on approach to viticulture allows Moët & Chandon to produce bespoke champagne that is consistently high quality, responding to the diversity of the grapes, vineyards, and vintages.

For Moët & Chandon, innovation is not about reinventing the wheel but rather refining the craft of producing champagne, with the help of modern technology. Benoît describes the House’s approach as one of “customised, adaptable oenology,” where the goal is to preserve the natural diversity of the grapes while guiding the winemaking process with a light touch. “We do not force Nature; we guide her. Champagne is as much a product of nature as it is the result of the winemaker’s savoir-faire,” says Benoît. Each cuvée is individually tailored, ensuring consistency through careful control, adjustment, and adaptation. Further to this, Moët & Chandon’s forward-thinking approach is underpinned by a dedicated research and development department (R&D), which researches new production methods and addresses their environmental impact. “We are the only House to have an R&D laboratory that employs 30 people dedicated to studying viticulture or working on oenological projects, researching new ways to do things differently and better, and facing new challenges related to climate change and sustainable viticulture,” Benoît explains. “We are therefore constantly thinking about how to adapt and evolve.” This process that weaves technical expertise and emotional sensitivity drives the rest of the Maison’s progress and it’s clear that the foundation of their success also lies in a profound respect for nature. Working with, not against, the environment is key. This is why over 20 years ago, Moët & Chandon took a major step towards tackling environmental and climate challenges, a move that eventually led to the Natura Nostra program.

Since then they have been committed to sustainable viticulture, recognising the fragility of their natural heritage and biodiversity. What began in 2001 with the Maison reassessing its practices, became achieving ISO-14001 certification in 2007 and double certification in sustainable viticulture and Haute Valeur Environnementale in 2014. This led to a fundamental shift within the Maison and soon changed their entire approach to the environment, ecosystem and biodiversity. Through its Natura Nostra program, Moët & Chandon is now leading efforts to protect and enhance biodiversity across the entire Champagne region, ensuring its legacy for future generations. Natura Nostra is a collective action for greater biodiversity in Champagne. “As the leader in champagne, Moët & Chandon has a responsibility to protect local flora and fauna,” says Benoît. “Natura Nostra, the Maison’s large-scale agroecology program, is a movement for the future of the Champagne region.”

What’s clear is that while Moët & Chandon is a leading name in luxury, it doesn’t take this responsibility lightly. Helmed by Benoît and his expert team, the Maison upholds history in a way that is innovative and future-minded. If savoir-faire reflects on the art of knowing, the Maison’s dedication to this—both as a tradition and as a philosophy—ensures that each bottle of Moët & Chandon is a testament to this promise, blending history with innovation, and celebrating craftsmanship in every bottle.

At Just Design, we are fortunate to have a few global multinational clients to help hedge against the Rand. One of them in particular, works for a big food manufacturer in Germany and is very open about the fact that she doesn’t like working with the local creative studios.  What’s even more surprising is that her reasoning has nothing to do with cost.  Unlike South Africa, she finds the European work bland, expected, and too similar in every country, where we are a hive of fresh creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. So, what is it that makes our design so unique, that it’s starting to pull the attention of international clients away from their native creative studios? No, simply put in one word: adversity.

South Africa is a country shaped by a history of pressure, tension, and rebellion—all of the adverse ingredients that have, throughout history,  fuelled creative thinking and breaking with convention. Adversity naturally imposes constraints on resources and builds a culture of resilience. If resilience is the catalyst for creativity, then we must be rolling in it!

Our diverse society, with its multitude of languages and complex social dynamics, demands a level of creativity that goes beyond aesthetics. South African graphic design has become a source of inspiration for designers worldwide. It fosters a credo of cross-cultural exchange and inclusive design that isn’t found anywhere else, allowing us to stand out in three significant areas: cultural authenticity, compelling storytelling, and purpose-driven design.

Cultural authenticity

From the resistance-inspired posters of the apartheid era to the current celebration of inclusivity, diversity and heritage, our design has learned to communicate our turbulent socio-political history through bold graphics in a multitude of ever-changing styles.

With 11 official languages and a relatively low literacy rate, there is a huge responsibility on visual communication and design (especially in packaging) to relay the most important information about a product using graphics over text.  Unsurprisingly, our designers are obsessively focused on the clarity of messaging, claims, headlines, etc – a skill that essentially embodies the crux of design anyway. The result is that our design aesthetic is direct, impactful and loud. We don’t do demure and we certainly don’t look like the rest of the world.

Storytelling:

Storytelling lies at the heart of every effective design solution and it enables us to convey complex ideas, evoke emotions, and build connections. Storytelling is also innate in all of us Africans. It’s how our history has been told for generations and it’s still present in our interactions each day.  Our artistic expression will always be deeply rooted in narrative, and shaped by a socio-economic reality where tragedy and hope coexist, and humour becomes a vital coping mechanism. Ultimately, when it comes to packaging, branding, and marketing, the brands that can weave compelling stories into their creative, are the brands that can connect with audiences in ways that feel genuine and relatable.

Purpose:

Today’s consumers demand more and more. And more. They’re looking for purpose-driven brands that resonate with their values. In South Africa, a country with no shortage of social issues and causes close to people’s hearts, purpose is not just a trend, but a necessity.  Being a specialist packaging design agency, we at Just Design have to make sure that our solutions resonate with consumers: that they communicate clearly, but still authentically and that they touch on the rich tapestry of local issues – creating designs that are not only visually appealing, but also engage meaningfully within the broader societal context.

Rather than seeing adversity as a setback, we should embrace it as an opportunity to showcase and harness the resulting output. It’s time we stopped behaving like the cobbler’s children with no shoes and do for ourselves what we do so well for our clients. We are the home of robust, authentic and purpose-driven expressions of creativity born from adversity, tension, and turmoil. That’s a good thing. It is how we’re able to create designs that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

Paul Modjadji’s 10 country African tour is chronicled in an enthralling new fourteen-part travelogue on SABC 1.

For several week’s Modjadji and his entourage have taken viewers to some of Africa’s top landmarks and historical sites in countries such as  Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and Namibia. Having hit its half-way mark with the recent Nigeria episode the series still promises more adventures and thrills as they visit the remaining countries such as Senegal, Botswana, Lesotho, as well as two special episodes that take viewers to Croatia and our very backyard of Gauteng in South Africa. The 14-part series culminates with a two-part reunion hosted by Minnie Dlamini.

The documentary follows Modjadji as he explores Africa’s rich youth and dance culture. Each episode serves up a kaleidoscope of experiences showcasing Africa’s leading landmarks and heritage sites through the eyes of youth activists and artists on home soil.

“I am humbled by the positive response that the series is receiving. It has been a labour of love, the team and I couldn’t be more proud that audiences are captivated by the people and places we meet and visit in the series.” Said Paul Modjadji who added that “The journey revealed an unmatched generosity of spirit. Our interactions brought into sharp focus just how creative and good spirited us Africans are.”

 The series is produced by award-winning producer Wandile Molebatsi and directed by Paul Modjadji with Sibusiso Mahlangu as director of photography. An established dancer choreographer, theatre maker and newly minted film director, Modjadji directed the award-winning short film “The Deal”.

“The viewer is taken on a journey that depicts the challenges, and excitement, of traveling our continent. Each country offers a window into a people, a country and diverse experiences, landscapes, and cultures. The feedback from this current season has inspired us to explore plans for another season. Viewers must stay tuned as the current series only gets better with each episode. The series promise a crescendo of a finale with a bag of surprises.  ” said the show’s producer Wandile Molebatsi.

Modjadji travels with close friends and family — sister Nthabiseng Modjadji, the tour coordinator, Sibusiso Mahlangu a filmmaker and photographer, and dancer Ginger Wensky.

The Breaking Down Borders Africa TV series is a fresh take on Africa by Africans. Exploring dance and youth culture, the documentary takes viewers inside the lives of some of Africa’s most inspiring change makers.

Among them are BBC Top 100 Inspirational Women award winner Naomi Mwaura, African Union official Lorato Modongo, and founder of Zimbabwe’s preeminent Jibilika arts festival Plot Makho.

The team encounters firsthand a strikingly developed, breathtakingly scenic and generously welcoming continent. They taste exquisite cuisine, visit iconic sites including the River Nile, Victoria Falls, and Gorée . They meet some of Africa’s towering cultural figures including Kenyan photojournalist Dr Nike Davies-Okundaye and Kenyan socio-political activist Boniface Mwangi.

The Breaking Down Borders Africa Series is on SABC 1 on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.

Nthabiseng Modjadji

The tour coordinator and manager, Nthabiseng Modjadji is Paul’s doting and devoted sister. A graduate in Social sciences and politics at Rhodes University, Nthabiseng is smart and has a firm ground of Africa’s history and politics. She is responsible for coordinating each of the countries toured, and planning the itinerary for the team on the ground alongside the country’s. Nthabi is meticulous, cheerful and often sarcastic. Her relationship with her brother demonstrates the love they have for each other. She understands his need to do things right and to do things with intention.

Ginger Wensky 

Paul’s Dance Company assistant, Ginger is a South African based German born dancer. She is the founder of Dam Ditty Doo, an organisation that makes arts accessible to children in underserved communities. She is adventurous and creative. Though she only appears in five of the 10 countries toured, Ginger leaves an impression on camera. She is always the first to jump into any lake, river or sea, without consideration of any possible danger. With her on tour the team is pushed to get the full experience of the countries visited. Ginger and Paul enjoy a working and friendship that is often depicted as honest but also tumultuous.

Minnie Dlamini Jones

Host of the two part Finale parts, Minnie Dlamini is a prominent South African actress and television and radio personality.

Minnie’s illustrious career highlights includes roles in successful shows such as Generations, The Wild, Rockville and recently The Honeymoon film. The actress has hosted SoccerZone alongside Thomas Mlambo until 2016. Since then, she has hosted several other award events such as the 14th Metro FM Music Awards, the 2016 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards, the PSL Awards and the South African Film and Television Awards.